Cover Lang Lang set to perform at ‘Galaxy Music Gala’ in January 2025 (Photo: Getty Images)
Lang Lang set to perform at ‘Galaxy Music Gala’ in January 2025 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Piano superstar Lang Lang will bring a ‘romantic’ performance at Galaxy Macau’s new entertainment venue on January 19
Expect a lot of exciting happenings this year from Chinese piano superstar Lang Lang, who has his 2025 schedule full of performances and projects: concerts in Tokyo and Osaka; then a recital at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in March; followed by Barbican Centre in London in April; performances with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras later this year; a new album in autumn; and new initiatives at the Lang Lang International Music Foundation throughout the year.
But first, he will kick off the year with the Galaxy Music Gala, a one-afternoon-only concert on January 19 at Galaxy International Convention Center, Galaxy Macau’s latest entertainment and convention venue boasting an opulent setting and state-of-the-art acoustics.
Read more: Lang Lang on Hong Kong’s music potential globally, and when learning music becomes a ‘waste of time’
Above Lang Lang at the piano (Photo: Getty Images)
Lang Lang at the piano (Photo: Getty Images)
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Joined by the Macao Orchestra, Lang Lang is set to perform Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2, Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Chopin’s 12 Mazurkas and Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana.
The pianist explains that the programme showcases an eclectic line-up of composers: “I want a very romantic concert, so I’m including the two most romantic composers, Chopin and Rachmaninov—Chopin’s music is poetic and elegant, and I want to share my most emotional and passionate interpretation of Rachmaninov’s pieces. [Then the rest of the programme] has a contrasting style.”
Lang Lang has performed with some of the most famous orchestras throughout his career, but the Macao Orchestra, with which he first played in 2006, has a special place in his heart. “I have a few very good friends from school who are in this orchestra,” he says. “[When I first collaborated with the orchestra,] they were brilliant under the leadership of [former music director and principal conductor] Lü Jia. They have a very international [team] and fantastic sound, and they have kept that level of music making. So I’m very excited to work with them again after so many years.”
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Above Lio Kuokman (Photo: Instagram/@liokuokman)
Lio Kuokman (Photo: Instagram/@liokuokman)
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Lio Kuokman, the orchestra’s current music director and principal conductor, expresses eagerness about working with Lang Lang again. “He graduated from Curtis [a prestigious private music institute in Philadelphia], and so did I. Although our times didn’t overlap, we shared so many teachers and friends. I worked with Lang Lang a few times in Hong Kong and other places. So I’m very keen to see him again in my home city that’s so important to my heart.”
For Lang Lang too, Macau holds a special place as “an important cultural centre” that has “a fantastic balance between the commercial and the artistic”. Lang Lang finds himself drawn to Macau’s cultural landscape with its strong classical music scene rooted in European influences, its Chinese musical heritage and its proximity to important Asian cities, including Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Meanwhile, Lio believes that working with international stars such as Lang Lang can take the Macao Orchestra to the next level. Just last season, the orchestra played with renowned international musicians, from American trumpeter and composer Chris Botti to Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara. “It’s so important for our orchestra to meet stars like these [to widen our global exposure],” he says.
With Lang Lang performing on January 19, it seems like Lio’s New Year’s wish for the orchestra has been granted.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
